NACO, Jan. 28-29: Pinchas Zukerman leads a Haydn Celebration

Pinchas Zukerman plays Haydn’Äôs Violin Concerto and leads the Lord Nelson Mass to honour Haydn’Äôs 200^th anniversary on January 28 and 29

Ottawa, Canada ’Äì Pinchas Zukerman leads the National Arts Centre Orchestra in a celebration of Haydn in commemoration of the 200^th anniversary of his death showcasing the composer’Äôs amazing contributions to the concerto and vocal repertoire. These Ovation Series concerts on Wednesday, January 28 and Thursday, January 29 at 8 p.m. in NAC’Äôs Southam Hall open with Pinchas Zukerman demonstrating his mastery of the classical form with Haydn’Äôs festive Violin Concerto No. 1 in C major, full of fast runs, double stops, and big changes in volume and pitch. Then audiences will experience the mighty Lord Nelson Mass, a work filled with both triumph and anguish composed by Haydn to honour Admiral Horatio Nelson’Äôs destruction of Napoleon’Äôs fleet at The Battle of the Nile in 1798.

The mass will be performed by a spectacular array of soloists and the combined vocal forces of four Ottawa choirs. The soloists are Ottawa soprano Donna Brown (who also returns the following weekend for a Music for a Sunday Afternoon chamber music concert); Grammy Award-winning American mezzo-soprano Kelley O’ÄôConnor making her NAC Orchestra debut; American tenor Lawrence Wiliford, an alumnus of the COC’Äôs Ensemble Studio, and Canadian bass Robert Pomakov, in his fifth appearance with the NAC Orchestra. Chorus master Duain Wolfe has prepared the combined choral forces of the Cantata Singers of Ottawa (Michael Zaugg, director), Seventeen Voyces (Kevin Reeves, director); Ewashko Singers (Laurence Ewashko, director) and the Ottawa Festival Chorus (Laurence Ewashko and Duain Wolfe, directors).

There are three Musically Speaking events connected with the NAC Orchestra’Äôs Haydn Celebration, presented in collaboration with a Haydn Symposium ’ÄúTranscendence, Reality and Universality in the Music of Joseph Haydn’Äù taking place in Ottawa (Jan. 28-30).

There are Musically Speaking Pre-Concert Chats in French both nights at 7 p.m. titled
’ÄúHaydn : Les messes d’Äôun franc-maˆßon’Äù with music critic Jean Jacques Van Vlasselaer.

There are Musically Speaking Post-Concert Talkbacks both nights led by music critic Jean-Jacques Van Vlasselaer in discussion with Austrian Haydn scholars Peter Revers, Peter-Maria Krakauer and Hartmut Krones.

And on January 28 only there is a Pre-Concert Talk in English from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. in the Panorama Room titled ’ÄúHaydn’Äôs Nelson Mass and the Aesthetics of Salvation’Äù with Haydn scholar James Webster from Cornell University. This talk is the Keynote Opening Lecture of the Haydn Symposium presented by Carleton University and the Kunstuniversitˆ§t Graz in association with the ’ÄúMozarteum’Äù in Salzburg, with the NAC, and with the Kunstforum, Embassy of Austria. The Opening Remarks for the Symposium are from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. also in the Panorama Room. The public is invited to come at either 6 p.m. for the Remarks or at 6:30 p.m. just for the Lecture.

Tickets for these Ovation Series concerts on January 28 and 29 are on sale now at $19.00, $39.00, $49.00, $59.00, $69.00 and $86.00 (GST and Facility Fee included) at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’Äôs web-site at www.nac-cna.ca.

Half-price tickets for students in all sections of the hall are on sale in person at the NAC Box Office upon presentation of a valid student ID card. Live Rush tickets (subject to availability) for full-time students (aged 13 to 29) are $11 at the NAC Box Office from 2 p.m. the day before the concert to 6 p.m. the day of, upon presentation of a valid Live Rush card.

Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances. To reserve your seats call 613-947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca.